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Republic of Ireland
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{{Short description|Country in north-western Europe}}{{About|the sovereign state||Ireland (disambiguation)}}{{pp|small=yes}}{{pp-move}}{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
| factoids | |
|---|---|
| location_color = dark green
| region = Europe
| region_color = dark grey
| subregion = the European Union
| subregion_color = light green
| country = Ireland
{edih}| map_width = 250px
| region = Europe
| region_color = dark grey
| subregion = the European Union
| subregion_color = light green
| country = Ireland
{edih}| map_width = 250px
|76.6% White Irish
|10.8% other White
|3.3% Asian
|1.5% Black
|1.7% other
|6.2% not stated}}| religion = {{Tree list}}
|10.8% other White
|3.3% Asian
|1.5% Black
|1.7% other
|6.2% not stated}}| religion = {{Tree list}}
- 75.7% Christianity
- 69.1% Catholicism
- 2.5% Anglicanism
- 4.1% other Christian
- 14.5% no religion
- 3.1% other
- 6.7% not stated
Name
The Irish name for Ireland is , deriving from , a goddess in Irish mythology.WEB, 26 August 2021, Where does the name Ireland come from?,weblink 13 September 2021, IrishCentral.com, en, 2 September 2021,weblink live, The state created in 1922, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, was "styled and known as the Irish Free State" ().BOOK, Coleman, Marie, The Irish Revolution, 1916–1923, 2013, Routledge, 978-1317801467, 230,weblink 12 February 2015, 9 December 2021,weblink live, The Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, says that "the name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland". Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, "It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland." The 1948 Act does not name the state "Republic of Ireland", because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution.Gallagher, Michael, "The changing constitution", in BOOK, Gallagher, Michael, Coakley, John, Politics in the Republic of Ireland, 2010, 0415476712, 978-0415476713,weblink 12 February 2015, 9 December 2021,weblink live, The government of the United Kingdom used the name "Eire" (without the diacritic) and, from 1949, "Republic of Ireland", for the state.Oliver, J.D.B., What's in a Name, in BOOK, Tiley, John, Studies in the History of Tax Law, 2004, Hart Publishing, 1841134732, 181–3,weblink 12 February 2015, 1 January 2016,weblink live, Note: the author uses "Éire", with the diacritic. It was not until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, when the state dropped its claim to Northern Ireland, that it began calling the state "Ireland".Oliver (2004), p. 178; Daly (2007), p. 80JOURNAL, Daly, Mary E., The Irish Free State/Éire/Republic of Ireland/Ireland: “A Country by Any Other Name�, Journal of British Studies, 46, 1, 2007, 0021-9371, 10.1086/508399, 72–90, The state is also informally called "the Republic", "Southern Ireland" or "the South";BOOK, Acciano, Reuben, Western Europe, 2005, Lonely Planet, 1740599276, 616,weblink 12 February 2015, 9 December 2021,weblink live, especially when distinguishing the state from the island or when discussing Northern Ireland ("the North"). Irish republicans reserve the name "Ireland" for the whole island and often refer to the state as "the Free State", "the 26 Counties",BOOK, Smith, M.L.R, Fighting for Ireland?: The Military Strategy of the Irish Republican Movement, 2002, Routledge, 1134713975, 2,weblink 12 February 2015, 9 December 2021,weblink live, or "the South of Ireland".NEWS, McGreevy, Ronan, Why Sinn Féin will not call the State by its name,weblink The Irish Times, 24 February 2020, 24 August 2022, 25 August 2022,weblink live, This is a "response to the partitionist view [...] that Ireland stops at the border".WEB, Dáil Éireann debate - Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill, 1999,weblink Oireachtas, 13 April 2000, 24 August 2022, 25 August 2022,weblink live,History
{{For|the history of the entire island|History of Ireland}}Home-rule movement
From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. During the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over 8 million fell by 30%. One million Irish died of starvation and disease and another 1.5 million emigrated, mostly to the United States.JOURNAL, Mokyr, Joel, Joel Mokyr, New Developments in Irish Population History 1700–1850, Irish Economic and Social History, XI, 101–121, 1984, 10197/1406,weblink 19 September 2019, 24 September 2019,weblink live, This set the pattern of emigration for the century to come, resulting in constant population decline up to the 1960s.WEB,weblink Central Statistics Office (Ireland), CSO, Population of Ireland 1841–2011, 6 September 2018, 6 September 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180906195419weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Wesleyjohnston.com, Wesley, Johnston, Patrick, Abbot, Prelude to the Irish Famine – Demographics, 6 September 2018, 7 July 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190707111107weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Population Change and Historical Perspective, 6 September 2018, CSO, 17 April 2019,weblink live, File:Charles Stewart Parnell at meeting.jpg|thumb|right|The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart ParnellCharles Stewart ParnellFrom 1874, and particularly under Charles Stewart Parnell from 1880, the Irish Parliamentary Party gained prominence. This was firstly through widespread agrarian agitation via the Irish Land League, which won land reforms for tenants in the form of the Irish Land Acts, and secondly through its attempts to achieve Home Rule, via two unsuccessful bills which would have granted Ireland limited national autonomy. These led to "grass-roots" control of national affairs, under the Local Government Act 1898, that had been in the hands of landlord-dominated grand juries of the Protestant Ascendancy.Home Rule seemed certain when the Parliament Act 1911 abolished the veto of the House of Lords, and John Redmond secured the Third Home Rule Act in 1914. However, the Unionist movement had been growing since 1886 among Irish Protestants after the introduction of the first home rule bill, fearing discrimination and loss of economic and social privileges if Irish Catholics achieved real political power. In the late 19th and early 20th-century unionism was particularly strong in parts of Ulster, where industrialisation was more common in contrast to the more agrarian rest of the island, and where the Protestant population was more prominent, with a majority in four counties.BOOK, A History of Ulster, Bardon, Jonathan, Jonathan Bardon, 1992, Blackstaff Press, 0856404985, 402, 405, Under the leadership of the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Party and the Ulsterman Sir James Craig of the Ulster Unionist Party, unionists became strongly militant, forming Ulster Volunteers in order to oppose "the Coercion of Ulster".BOOK,weblink Ireland in the 20th Century, Coogan, Tim Pat, 2009, Random House, 127–128, 9781407097213, 19 November 2020, 5 July 2021,weblink live, After the Home Rule Bill passed parliament in May 1914, to avoid rebellion with Ulster, the British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced an Amending Bill reluctantly conceded to by the Irish Party leadership. This provided for the temporary exclusion of Ulster from the workings of the bill for a trial period of six years, with an as yet undecided new set of measures to be introduced for the area to be temporarily excluded.Revolution and steps to independence
File:The shell of the G.P.O. on Sackville Street after the Easter Rising (6937669789).jpg|thumb|Damage in Dublin city centre following the 1916 Easter RisingEaster RisingThough it received the Royal Assent and was placed on the statute books in 1914, the implementation of the Third Home Rule Act was suspended until after the First World War which defused the threat of civil war in Ireland. With the hope of ensuring the implementation of the Act at the end of the war through Ireland's engagement in the war, Redmond and the Irish National Volunteers supported the UK and its Allies. 175,000 men joined Irish regiments of the 10th (Irish) and 16th (Irish) divisions of the New British Army, while Unionists joined the 36th (Ulster) divisions.WEB, Irish Soldiers in the First World War,weblink 1916 Commemorations, Department of the Taoiseach, 29 August 2011, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110810192700weblink">weblink 10 August 2011, The remainder of the Irish Volunteers, who refused Redmond and opposed any support of the UK, launched an armed insurrection against British rule in the 1916 Easter Rising, together with the Irish Citizen Army. This commenced on 24 April 1916 with the declaration of independence. After a week of heavy fighting, primarily in Dublin, the surviving rebels were forced to surrender their positions. The majority were imprisoned, with fifteen of the prisoners (including most of the leaders) were executed as traitors to the UK. This included Patrick Pearse, the spokesman for the rising and who provided the signal to the volunteers to start the rising, as well as James Connolly, socialist and founder of the Industrial Workers of the World union and both the Irish and Scottish Labour movements. These events, together with the Conscription Crisis of 1918, had a profound effect on changing public opinion in Ireland against the British Government.WEB,weblink The Hay Plan & Conscription in Ireland During WW1, Hennessy, Dave, Waterford County Museum, 6 September 2018, 25 December 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181225080831weblink">weblink live, In January 1919, after the December 1918 general election, 73 of Ireland's 105 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected were Sinn Féin members who were elected on a platform of abstentionism from the British House of Commons. In January 1919, they set up an Irish parliament called Dáil Éireann. This first Dáil issued a declaration of independence and proclaimed an Irish Republic. The declaration was mainly a restatement of the 1916 Proclamation with the additional provision that Ireland was no longer a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic's Ministry of Dáil Éireann sent a delegation under (Head of Council, or Speaker, of the DaÃl) Seán T. O'Kelly to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, but it was not admitted.File:Leinster_House_-_1911.jpg|thumb|Leinster House , Dublin. In 1922 a new parliament called the Oireachtas was established, of which Dáil Éireann became the lower houselower houseAfter the War of Independence and truce called in July 1921, representatives of the British government and the five Irish treaty delegates, led by Arthur Griffith, Robert Barton and Michael Collins, negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in London from 11 October to 6 December 1921. The Irish delegates set up headquarters at Hans Place in Knightsbridge, and it was here in private discussions that the decision was taken on 5 December to recommend the treaty to Dáil Éireann. On 7 January 1922, the Second Dáil ratified the Treaty by 64 votes to 57.WEB,weblink Oireachtas, Dáil Éireann debates, 7 January 1922: Debate on Treaty, 28 September 2019, 28 September 2019,weblink live, In accordance with the treaty, on 6 December 1922 the entire island of Ireland became a self-governing Dominion called the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann). Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State, the Parliament of Northern Ireland had the option to leave the Irish Free State one month later and return to the United Kingdom. During the intervening period, the powers of the Parliament of the Irish Free State and Executive Council of the Irish Free State did not extend to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new Dominion and rejoined the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. It did so by making an address to the King requesting, "that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland."WEB,weblink Northern Ireland Parliamentary Report, 7 December 1922, Stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk, 7 December 1922, 9 July 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160415143605weblink">weblink 15 April 2016, dead, The Irish Free State was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the United Kingdom and other Dominions of the British Commonwealth. The country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "Executive Council", and a prime minister called the President of the Executive Council.Irish Civil War
File:The Long Fellow (10570624475).jpg|thumb|right|Éamon de Valera, Irish political leader, pictured outside Ennis Courthouse in 1917. He would later be involved in introducing the 1937 Constitution of IrelandConstitution of IrelandThe Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) was the consequence of the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State.WEB,weblink Oxford University Press, oxfordbibliographies, Literature of the Irish Civil War, 25 October 2018, 27 April 2021, 10.1093/OBO/9780199846719-0149, Ward, Brian, 27 April 2021,weblink live, Anti-treaty forces, led by Éamon de Valera, objected to the fact that acceptance of the treaty abolished the Irish Republic of 1919 to which they had sworn loyalty, arguing in the face of public support for the settlement that the "people have no right to do wrong".BOOK, De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow,weblink 21 de Valera Stands Tall, Tim Pat, Tim Pat Coogan, 1993, Coogan, Head of Zeus, 9781784975371, 19 November 2020, 20 March 2021,weblink live, They objected most to the fact that the state would remain part of the British Empire and that members of the Free State Parliament would have to swear what the anti-treaty side saw as an oath of fidelity to the British king. Pro-treaty forces, led by Michael Collins, argued that the treaty gave "not the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire to and develop, but the freedom to achieve it".WEB, dead, 21 July 2011, Dáil Éireann,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110721130127weblink">weblinkweblink Dáil Éireann – Volume T – 19 December, 1921 (Debate on Treaty), At the start of the war, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) split into two opposing camps: a pro-treaty IRA and an anti-treaty IRA. The pro-treaty IRA disbanded and joined the new National Army. However, because the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure and because of the pro-treaty forces' defensive tactics throughout the war, Michael Collins and his pro-treaty forces were able to build up an army with many tens of thousands of World War I veterans from the 1922 disbanded Irish regiments of the British Army, capable of overwhelming the anti-treatyists. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, machine-guns and ammunition boosted pro-treaty forces, and the threat of a return of Crown forces to the Free State removed any doubts about the necessity of enforcing the treaty. Lack of public support for the anti-treaty forces (often called the Irregulars) and the determination of the government to overcome the Irregulars contributed significantly to their defeat.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}Constitution of Ireland 1937
File:IFS Constitution Committee Darrell F's book2.jpg|thumb|The Constitution Committee meeting at the Shelbourne HotelShelbourne HotelFollowing a national plebiscite in July 1937, the new Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) came into force on 29 December 1937.WEB,weblink Irish Statute Book, Constitution of Ireland, 1 July, 1937, 6 September 2018, 3 May 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190503055502weblink">weblink live, This replaced the Constitution of the Irish Free State and declared that the name of the state is , or "Ireland" in the English language.T. Garvin, 1922: the birth of Irish democracy, Gill & Macmillan: Dublin, 2005.BOOK, The Irish Civil War 1922–23, Peter, Cottrell, 85, 978-1-84603-270-7, Osprey Publishing, 2008, Irish voters approved a new constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, in 1937 renaming the country Éire or simply Ireland., WEB, Guide to Irish Law, Darius, Whelan, June 2005,weblink 11 September 2009, This Constitution, which remains in force today, renamed the state Ireland (Article 4) and established four main institutions – the President, the Oireachtas (Parliament), the Government and the Courts., 5 September 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090905133724weblink">weblink live, John T. Koch, Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, 2006. While Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution defined the national territory to be the whole island, they also confined the state's jurisdiction to the area that had been the Irish Free State. The former Irish Free State government had abolished the Office of Governor-General in December 1936. Although the constitution established the office of President of Ireland, the question over whether Ireland was a republic remained open. Diplomats were accredited to the king, but the president exercised all internal functions of a head of state.JOURNAL, Daly, Mary E., Mary E. Daly, January 2007, The Irish Free State/Éire/Republic of Ireland/Ireland: "A Country by Any Other Name"?, Journal of British Studies, 46, 1, 72–90, 10.1086/508399, 10.1086/508399, After the enactment of the 1936 External Relations Act and the 1937 Constitution, Ireland's only remaining link with the crown had been the accreditation of diplomats. The president of Ireland was the head of state. When opposition deputies asked de Valera whether Ireland was a republic—a favorite pastime in the mid-1940s—he tended to resort to dictionary definitions showing that Ireland had all the attributes of a republic., free, For instance, the President gave assent to new laws with his own authority, without reference to King George VI who was only an "organ", that was provided for by statute law.Ireland remained neutral during World War II, a period it described as The Emergency.BOOK, The Emergency: Neutral Ireland 1939–45, Girvin, Brian, Pan, 2007, 9780330493291, Ireland's Dominion status was terminated with the passage of The Republic of Ireland Act 1948, which came into force on 18 April 1949 and declared that the state was a republic.ISB, The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 (Commencement) Order 1949, 1949, 27, si, 1, 4 February 1949, BOOK, Whyte, J. H., John Henry Whyte, Hill, J. R., A New History of Ireland, VII: Ireland, 1921–84, 2010, Oxford University Press, 978-0191615597, 277 (footnote 20),weblink 6 August 2019, Economic crisis and political cold war, 1949-57, The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948...repealed the external relations act, and provided for the declaration of a republic, which came into force on 18 Apr. 1949, when Ireland left the commonwealth., 15 November 2019,weblink live, At the time, a declaration of a republic terminated Commonwealth membership. This rule was changed 10 days after Ireland declared itself a republic, with the London Declaration of 28 April 1949. Ireland did not reapply when the rules were altered to permit republics to join. Later, the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was repealed in Ireland by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act 1962.WEB,weblink Irish Statute Book, Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act, 1962, 6 September 2018, 5 September 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180905111820weblink">weblink live,Recent history
File:Tratado de Lisboa 13 12 2007 (081).jpg|thumb|In 1973 Ireland joined the European Economic Community along with the United Kingdom and Denmark. The country signed the Lisbon TreatyLisbon TreatyIreland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955, after having been denied membership because of its neutral stance during the Second World War and not supporting the Allied cause.NEWS,weblink Ireland at the UN, The Irish Independent, 22 August 2010, 12 November 2010, 16 July 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140716113300weblink">weblink live, At the time, joining the UN involved a commitment to using force to deter aggression by one state against another if the UN thought it was necessary.NEWS,weblink Ireland's UN affairs, The Irish Independent, 26 June 2010, 12 November 2010, 16 July 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140716123540weblink">weblink live, Interest towards membership of the European Communities (EC) developed in Ireland during the 1950s, with consideration also given to membership of the European Free Trade Area. As the United Kingdom intended on EC membership, Ireland applied for membership in July 1961 due to the substantial economic linkages with the United Kingdom. The founding EC members remained sceptical regarding Ireland's economic capacity, neutrality, and unattractive protectionist policy.WEB,weblink National Archives – Ireland and European Unity, Nationalarchives.ie, 12 November 2010, 1 January 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110101084325weblink">weblink live, Many Irish economists and politicians realised that economic policy reform was necessary. The prospect of EC membership became doubtful in 1963 when French President General Charles de Gaulle stated that France opposed Britain's accession, which ceased negotiations with all other candidate countries. In 1969 his successor, Georges Pompidou, was not opposed to British and Irish membership. Negotiations began and in 1972 the Treaty of Accession was signed. A referendum was held later that year which confirmed Ireland's entry into the bloc, and it finally joined the EC as a member state on 1 January 1973.WEB,weblink Joining the European Community, European Commission, 31 July 1961, 12 November 2010, 6 June 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160606010430weblink">weblink live, The economic crisis of the late 1970s was fuelled by the Fianna Fáil government's budget, the abolition of the car tax, excessive borrowing, and global economic instability including the 1979 oil crisis.WEB,weblink Taxations And savings in Ireland, O'Toole, Francis, Warrington, Trinity Economic Papers Series, Trinity College Dublin, 19, 17 June 2008, 24 June 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080624202457weblink">weblink live, There were significant policy changes from 1989 onwards, with economic reform, tax cuts, welfare reform, an increase in competition, and a ban on borrowing to fund current spending. This policy began in 1989–1992 by the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats government, and continued by the subsequent Fianna Fáil/Labour government and Fine Gael/Labour/Democratic Left government. Ireland became one of the world's fastest growing economies by the late 1990s in what was known as the Celtic Tiger period, which lasted until the Great Recession. Since 2014, Ireland has experienced increased economic activity.WEB,weblink CSO, National Income and Expenditure 2017 (Figure 1.1 Growth Rates), 6 September 2018, 6 September 2018,weblink live, In the Northern Ireland question, the British and Irish governments started to seek a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict involving many paramilitaries and the British Army in Northern Ireland known as "The Troubles". A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement, was approved in 1998 in referendums north and south of the border. As part of the peace settlement, the territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland was removed by referendum. In its white paper on Brexit the United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement. With regard to Northern Ireland's status, it said that the UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland".REPORT, Cm 9417, HM Government, The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union, February 2017,Geography
(File:Ireland from space edit2.jpg|thumb|right|Ireland from space)The state extends over an area of about five-sixths ({{convert|70273|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) of the island of Ireland ({{convert|84421|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}), with Northern Ireland constituting the remainder. The island is bounded to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel. To the east, the Irish Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea to the southwest.File:Ireland (47474631822).jpg|thumb|The Cliffs of MoherCliffs of Moher File:Panamora of Cnoc na Peiste and Loch Cummeenapeasta.jpg|thumb|MacGillycuddy's ReeksMacGillycuddy's ReeksThe western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains. The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay and sand, as well as significant areas of bogland and several lakes. The highest point is Carrauntoohil ({{convert|1038.6|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}), located in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range in the southwest. River Shannon, which traverses the central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at {{convert|386|km|mi|disp=or}} in length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays.Ireland is one of the least forested countries in Europe."History of Forestry in Ireland" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053644weblink |date=30 January 2019 }}. Teagasc. Until the end of the Middle Ages, the land was heavily forested. Native species include deciduous trees such as oak, ash, hazel, birch, alder, willow, aspen, elm, rowan and hawthorn, as well as evergreen trees such Scots pine, yew, holly and strawberry trees.Native Species {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409023345weblink |date=9 April 2022 }}. Tree Council of Ireland. The growth of blanket bog and the extensive clearing of woodland for farming are believed to be the main causes of deforestation.WEB,weblink History of Forestry in Ireland, 15 June 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120111183448weblink">weblink 11 January 2012, Today, only about 10% of Ireland is woodland,WEB,weblink Forest Statistics – Ireland 2017, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 29 January 2019, 3, 63, 20 October 2019,weblink dead, most of which is non-native conifer plantations, and only 2% of which is native woodland."Native trees cover just 2% of Ireland. How can this be increased?" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304164603weblink |date=4 March 2020 }}. The Irish Times, 6 July 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019."Ireland's native woodlands are quietly disappearing" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216190001weblink |date=16 February 2019 }}. The Irish Times, 19 June 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019. The average woodland cover in European countries is over 33%. According to Coillte, a state-owned forestry business, the country's climate gives Ireland one of the fastest growth rates for forests in Europe.WEB,weblink coillte.ie, Coillte, Forestry – Did you know?, 3 December 2019, Ireland has an ideal climate for forestry with one of the fastest growth rates of trees in Europe, 9 April 2020,weblink live, Hedgerows, which are traditionally used to define land boundaries, are an important substitute for woodland habitat, providing refuge for native wild flora and a wide range of insect, bird and mammal species.WEB,weblink Hedgerows, 15 June 2011, 26 July 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110726134733weblink">weblink dead, It is home to two terrestrial ecoregions: Celtic broadleaf forests and North Atlantic moist mixed forests.JOURNAL, Dinerstein, Eric, Olson, David, Joshi, Anup, Vynne, Carly, Burgess, Neil D., Wikramanayake, Eric, Hahn, Nathan, Palminteri, Suzanne, Hedao, Prashant, Noss, Reed, Hansen, Matt, Locke, Harvey, Ellis, Erle C, Jones, Benjamin, Barber, Charles Victor, Hayes, Randy, Kormos, Cyril, Martin, Vance, Crist, Eileen, Sechrest, Wes, Price, Lori, Baillie, Jonathan E. M., Weeden, Don, Suckling, Kierán, Davis, Crystal, Sizer, Nigel, Moore, Rebecca, Thau, David, Birch, Tanya, Potapov, Peter, Turubanova, Svetlana, Tyukavina, Alexandra, de Souza, Nadia, Pintea, Lilian, Brito, José C., Llewellyn, Othman A., Miller, Anthony G., Patzelt, Annette, Ghazanfar, Shahina A., Timberlake, Jonathan, Klöser, Heinz, Shennan-Farpón, Yara, Kindt, Roeland, Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow, van Breugel, Paulo, Graudal, Lars, Voge, Maianna, Al-Shammari, Khalaf F., Saleem, Muhammad, 1, An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, 67, 6, 2017, 534–545, 0006-3568, 10.1093/biosci/bix014, 28608869, 5451287, free, Agriculture accounts for about 64% of the total land area.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/19991004065905weblink">weblink dead, 4 October 1999, Agriculture in Ireland, Teagasc.ie, 12 November 2010, This has resulted in limited land to preserve natural habitats, in particular for larger wild mammals with greater territorial requirements.WEB, Land cover and land use, Environmental Protection Agency, 2000,weblink 30 July 2007, 16 September 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080916125736weblink">weblink dead, The long history of agricultural production coupled with modern agricultural methods, such as pesticide and fertiliser use, has placed pressure on biodiversity.WEB,weblink The World Factbook, Ireland, Central Intelligence Agency, 28 August 2011, 9 January 2021,weblink live,Climate
File:View over Lough Tay, Wicklow Mountains - geograph.org.uk - 5029923.jpg|thumb|Wicklow Mountains National ParkWicklow Mountains National ParkThe Atlantic Ocean and the warming influence of the Gulf Stream affect weather patterns in Ireland.WEB,weblink Met.ie, Climate in Ireland, 22 October 2009, 9 February 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100209072328weblink">weblink live, Temperatures differ regionally, with central and eastern areas tending to be more extreme. However, due to a temperate oceanic climate, temperatures are seldom lower than {{convert|-5|°C|°F}} in winter or higher than {{convert|26|°C|°F}} in summer.WEB,weblink TravelInIreland.com, The Ireland Climate and What to Wear, 22 October 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090919170239weblink">weblink 19 September 2009, dead, The highest temperature recorded in Ireland was {{convert|33.3|°C|°F}} on 26 June 1887 at Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny, while the lowest temperature recorded was {{convert|-19.1|°C|°F}} at Markree Castle in Sligo.WEB,weblink Met.ie, Temperature in Ireland, 22 October 2009, 28 February 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180228220515weblink">weblink live, Rainfall is more prevalent during winter months and less so during the early months of summer. Southwestern areas experience the most rainfall as a result of south westerly winds, while Dublin receives the least. Sunshine duration is highest in the southeast of the country. The far north and west are two of the windiest regions in Europe, with great potential for wind energy generation.WEB,weblink Met.ie, Wind over Ireland, 22 October 2009, 8 May 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080508021532weblink">weblink live, Ireland normally gets between 1100 and 1600 hours of sunshine each year, most areas averaging between 3.25 and 3.75 hours a day. The sunniest months are May and June, which average between 5 and 6.5 hours per day over most of the country. The extreme southeast gets most sunshine, averaging over 7 hours a day in early summer. December is the dullest month, with an average daily sunshine ranging from about 1 hour in the north to almost 2 hours in the extreme southeast. The sunniest summer in the 100 years from 1881 to 1980 was 1887, according to measurements made at the Phoenix Park in Dublin; 1980 was the dullest.WEB,weblink Met.ie, Sunshine and Solar Radiation, 22 January 2018,weblink 22 January 2018, dead,Politics
Ireland is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. The is the bicameral national parliament composed of the President of Ireland and the two Houses of the Oireachtas: (House of Representatives) and (Senate).Article 15.2 of the Constitution of Ireland. Ãras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, while the houses of the Oireachtas meet at Leinster House in Dublin.{{multiple image
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}}The President serves as head of state, is elected for a seven-year term, and may be re-elected once. The President is primarily a figurehead, but is entrusted with certain constitutional powers with the advice of the Council of State. The office has absolute discretion in some areas, such as referring a bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment on its constitutionality.WEB,weblink Office of the President – Powers and Functions, 4 January 2011, 7 April 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150407175921weblink">weblink live, Michael D. Higgins became the ninth President of Ireland on 11 November 2011.NEWS,weblink President Michael D promises seven years of new ideas, 11 November 2011, Irish Independent, 11 November 2011, 9 March 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130309070500weblink">weblink live, The (Prime Minister) serves as the head of government and is appointed by the President upon the nomination of the . Most have served as the leader of the political party that gains the most seats in national elections. It has become customary for coalitions to form a government, as there has not been a single-party government since 1989.BOOK, McGrath, Conor, Eoin, O'Malley, Irish political studies reader: key contributions, Conor McGrath, Eoin O'Malley, Routledge, 2007, 54, 978-0-415-44648-8,weblink 15 March 2011, 5 July 2021,weblink live, The has 160 members () elected to represent multi-seat constituencies under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. The is composed of sixty members, with eleven nominated by the , six elected by two university constituencies, and 43 elected by public representatives from panels of candidates established on a vocational basis.The government is constitutionally limited to fifteen members. No more than two members can be selected from the , and the , (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Finance must be members of the . The Dáil must be dissolved within five years of its first meeting following the previous election,ISB, 1992, 23, 33, Electoral Act 1992, 5 November 1992, Maximum duration of Dáil, and a general election for members of the Dáil must take place no later than thirty days after the dissolution. In accordance with the Constitution of Ireland, parliamentary elections must be held at least every seven years, though a lower limit may be set by statute law. The current government is a coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party with Simon Harris of Fine Gael as Taoiseach and Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil as Tánaiste. Opposition parties in the current are Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, People Before Profit–Solidarity, Social Democrats, Aontú, as well as a number of independents.Ireland has been a member state of the European Union since 1973. Citizens of the United Kingdom can freely enter the country without a passport due to the Common Travel Area, which is a passport-free zone comprising the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. However, some identification is required at airports and seaports.| align = right
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Local government
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File:Dublin four courts.JPG|thumb|The Four CourtsFour CourtsIreland has a common law legal system with a written constitution that provides for a parliamentary democracy. The court system consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Circuit Court and the District Court, all of which apply the Irish law and hear both civil and criminal matters. Trials for serious offences must usually be held before a jury. The High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have authority, by means of judicial review, to determine the compatibility of laws and activities of other institutions of the state with the constitution and the law. Except in exceptional circumstances, court hearings must occur in public.WEB,weblink Constitution of Ireland – The Courts – Article 34.1, irishstatutebook.ie, Attorney General, Justice shall be administered in courts [...] and, save in such special and limited cases as may be prescribed by law, shall be administered in public, 28 July 2020, 3 May 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190503055502weblink">weblink live, JOURNAL,weblink Irish Judicial Studies Journal, 3, 2019, Craven-Barry, Clare, Transparency In Family And Child Law Proceedings: Disentangling The Statutory Techniques And Terminology, 28 July 2020, 28 July 2020,weblink live, File:CriminalCourtofJusticeDublin.jpg|thumb|The Criminal Courts of Justice is the principal building for criminal courts.]]The Garda SÃochána (lit. Guardians of the Peace), more commonly referred to as the GardaÃ, is the state's civilian police force. The force is responsible for all aspects of civil policing, both in terms of territory and infrastructure. It is headed by the Garda Commissioner, who is appointed by the Government. Most uniformed members do not routinely carry firearms. Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers equipped only with a baton and pepper spray.NEWS,weblink Poll: Should the Garda SÃochána be armed?, 4 July 2011, TheJournal.ie, 20 November 2012, 22 September 2021,weblink live, The Military Police is the corps of the Irish Army responsible for the provision of policing service personnel and providing a military police presence to forces while on exercise and deployment. In wartime, additional tasks include the provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime roles include control of prisoners of war and refugees.WEB,weblink The Defence Forces, Rdf.ie, 12 November 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090606053238weblink">weblink 6 June 2009, Ireland's citizenship laws relate to "the island of Ireland", including islands and seas, thereby extending them to Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Therefore, anyone born in Northern Ireland who meets the requirements for being an Irish citizen, such as birth on the island of Ireland to an Irish or British citizen parent or a parent who is entitled to live in Northern Ireland or the Republic without restriction on their residency,WEB,weblink Irish citizenship through birth or descent, Citizens Information, 12 November 2010, 12 November 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101112220125weblink">weblink live, may exercise an entitlement to Irish citizenship, such as an Irish passport.WEB,weblink Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, Law Reform Commission (Ireland), Law Reform Commission,Foreign relations
{{See also|Ireland–NATO relations}}File:P20230317AS-2347 (52777500991).jpg|thumb|upright= 1.0|Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and US President Joe Biden, at the White House, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Foreign relations are substantially influenced by membership of the European Union, although bilateral relations with the United Kingdom and United States are also important.See Michael J. Geary, An Inconvenient Wait: Ireland's Quest for Membership of the EEC, 1957–73 (Institute of Public Administration, 2009) ({{ISBN|978-1-904541-83-7}}) It held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on six occasions, most recently from January to June 2013.WEB,weblink Official Journal of the European Union, 12 November 2010, 7 April 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130407200152weblink">weblink live, Ireland tends towards independence in foreign policy; thus the country is not a member of NATO and has a longstanding policy of military neutrality. This policy has led to the Irish Defence Forces contributing to peace-keeping missions with the United Nations since 1960, including during the Congo Crisis and subsequently in Cyprus, Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina.WEB,weblink Ireland and the United Nations, 15 July 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100414031723weblink">weblink 14 April 2010, Despite Irish neutrality during World War II, Ireland had more than 50,000 participants in the war through enlistment in the British armed forces. During the Cold War, Irish military policy, while ostensibly neutral, was biased towards NATO.WEB, Kennedy, Michael, Ireland's Role in Post-War Transatlantic Aviation and Its Implications for the Defence of the North Atlantic Area, Royal Irish Academy, 8 October 2014,weblink 10 October 2007, 17 November 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071117075026weblink">weblink dead, During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Seán Lemass authorised the search of Cuban and Czechoslovak aircraft passing through Shannon and passed the information to the CIA.Irish Times, 28 December 2007 p. 1 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707012005weblink |date=7 July 2012}}. Ireland's air facilities were used by the United States military for the delivery of military personnel involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq through Shannon Airport. The airport had previously been used for the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, as well as the First Gulf War.WEB, Private Members' Business. – Foreign Conflicts: Motion (Resumed) - Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil), Houses of the Oireachtas, 30 January 2003,weblink 15 July 2022, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110511091051weblink">weblink 11 May 2011, – Tony Gregory speaking in Dáil ÉireannSince 1999, Ireland has been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), which is aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union.NEWS,weblink State joins Partnership for Peace on Budget day, Patrick, Smyth, 29 November 1999, The Irish Times, 6 May 2008, 3 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150903232010weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Signatures of Partnership for Peace Framework Document, NATO website, 21 April 2008, 6 May 2008, 20 March 2021,weblink live,Military
{{See also|Irish neutrality}}File:Soldiers from 41 Inf Gp on Parade 1 (4446682116).jpg|thumb|upright= 1.0|Irish Army soldiers as part of Kosovo ForceKosovo ForceIreland is a neutral country,{{harvnb|Gilland|2001|p=143}}. and has "triple-lock" rules governing the participation of Irish troops in conflict zones, whereby approval must be given by the UN, the Dáil and Government.WEB, Minister for Defence, Mr. Willie O'Dea TD secures formal Cabinet approval today for Ireland's participation in an EU Battlegroup, Department of Defense,weblink 26 August 2008, 19 November 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071119092047weblink">weblink live, Accordingly, its military role is limited to national self-defence and participation in United Nations peacekeeping.The Irish Defence Forces () are made up of the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force. It is small but well equipped, with almost 10,000 full-time military personnel and over 2,000 in reserve.NEWS, Lally, Conor,weblink Numbers in Defence Forces hit 40-year low, The Irish Times, 25 November 2009, 12 November 2010, 3 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150903232010weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Houses of the Oireachtas, Written Replies Nos. 437 to 450 – Defence Forces Reserve, 13 January 2016, 27 July 2016, 11 October 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171011004946weblink">weblink live, Daily deployments of the Defence Forces cover aid to civil power operations, protection and patrol of Irish territorial waters and EEZ by the Irish Naval Service, and UN, EU and PfP peace-keeping missions. By 1996, over 40,000 Irish service personnel had served in international UN peacekeeping missions.BOOK, United States. National Archives and Records Administration, United States. Office of the Federal Register, Weekly compilation of Presidential documents, Volume 32, Issue 2, 1996, Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1050,weblink 29 August 2012, 5 July 2021,weblink live, The Irish Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and operates sixteen fixed wing aircraft and eight helicopters. The Irish Naval Service is Ireland's navy, and operates six patrol ships, and smaller numbers of inflatable boats and training vessels, and has armed boarding parties capable of seizing a ship and a special unit of frogmen. The military includes the Reserve Defence Forces (Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve) for part-time reservists. Ireland's special forces include the Army Ranger Wing, which trains and operates with international special operations units. The President is the formal Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, but in practice these Forces answer to the Government via the Minister for Defence.WEB,weblink citizensinformation.ie, Citizens Information Board, Defence Forces, 28 July 2020, 29 July 2020,weblink live, In 2017, Ireland signed the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.WEB,weblink Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, United Nations Treaty Collection, 7 July 2017, 17 September 2019, 6 August 2019,weblink live,Economy
Ireland is an open economy and ranks first for "high-value" foreign direct investment (FDI) flows.NEWS,weblink Ireland named best country for high-value FDI for sixth year in a row, The Irish Times, 31 August 2017, 11 April 2018, 1 April 2019,weblink live, Ireland ranks 5th of 187 (IMF) and 6th of 175 (World Bank) in GDP per capita as well as ranking in the top ten for GNI per capita. An alternative metric, known as modified Gross National Income (GNI), was created by the Central Statistics Office and is used by the Irish government to give a view of activity in the domestic economy after stripping out large multinational export movements which can often relate to intangible assets.WEB,weblink Press Statement Macroeconomic Releases Year 2016 and Quarter 1 2017 – CSO – Central Statistics Office, cso.ie, en, 21 August 2018, 21 August 2018,weblink live, This is particularly relevant in Ireland's economy, as GDP disproportionately includes income from non-Irish owned companies, which often flows out of Ireland.WEB,weblink Modified Gross National Income – CSO – Central Statistics Office, en, 21 August 2018, 21 August 2018,weblink live, Foreign multinationals are the main driver of Ireland's economy, employing a quarter of the private sector workforce,WEB,weblink IRELAND Trade and Statistical Note 2017, OECD, 2017, 11 April 2018, 10 April 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180410201752weblink">weblink live, and paying 80% of Irish corporate taxes.NEWS,weblink 20 multinationals paid half of all Corporation tax paid in 2016, RTÉ News, 21 June 2017, 11 April 2018, 21 June 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink Most of Ireland's huge corporate tax haul last year came from foreign firms, sunday Business Post FORA, 14 May 2016, 11 April 2018, 17 May 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink An Analysis of 2015 Corporation Tax Returns and 2016 Payments, Revenue Commissioners, April 2017, 14 April 2018, 28 November 2017,weblink live, 14 of Ireland's top 20 firms (by 2017 turnover) are US-based multinationalsNEWS,weblink Ireland's Top 1000 Companies, The Irish Times, 2018, 11 April 2018, 17 September 2019,weblink live, and 80% of foreign multinationals in Ireland are from the US.WEB,weblink Winning FDI 2015–2019 Strategy, IDA Ireland, March 2015, 11 April 2018, 15 September 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink IDA Ireland Competitiveness, IDA Ireland, March 2018, 11 April 2018, 5 April 2018,weblink live, File:BlueEurozone.svg|thumb|Ireland is part of the EU (dark blue & light blue) and EurozoneEurozoneIreland adopted the euro currency in 2002 along with eleven other EU member states. As of January 2023 there are 20 EU member states using the euro currency with Croatia the most recent member to join on 1 January 2023.WEB, Croatia set to join the euro area on 1 January 2023: Council adopts final required legal acts,weblink 31 December 2022, www.consilium.europa.eu, en, 25 July 2022,weblink live, Following the Great Recession and the bursting of the Irish property bubble, the country officially exited recession in 2010, driven by a growth in exports from US multinationals in Ireland.NEWS, Fottrell, Quentin,weblink The Wall Street Journal, Ireland Officially Exits Recession, 30 June 2010, 30 June 2011, 5 April 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150405045115weblink">weblink live, However, due to a rise in the cost of public borrowing due to government guarantees of private banking debt, the Irish government accepted an €85 billion programme of assistance from the EU, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and bilateral loans from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark.NEWS,weblink Ireland to receive €85 billion bailout at 5.8% interest rate, The Irish Times, 28 November 2010, 30 June 2011, 18 May 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130518062057weblink">weblink live, Following three years of contraction, the economy grew by 0.7% in 2011 and 0.9% in 2012.NEWS,weblink Irish economy grew by 0.9% in 2012 – CSO, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 21 March 2013, 30 May 2013, 3 December 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131203042221weblink">weblink live, The unemployment rate was 14.7% in 2012, including 18.5% among recent immigrants.NEWS,weblink Irish anti-immigrant attitudes growing, report shows, Judith, Crosbie, The Irish Times, 26 June 2013, 6 December 2013, 12 December 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131212112759weblink">weblink live, In March 2016 the unemployment rate was reported by the CSO to be 8.6%, down from a peak unemployment rate of 15.1% in February 2012.WEB,weblink#.UOIU2GeKBLM,, Monthly Unemployment March 2016 – CSO – Central Statistics Office, cso.ie, 5 April 2016, 30 July 2017, 31 July 2017, https:web.archive.org/web/20170731064048weblink#.UOIU2GeKBLM,, live, In addition to unemployment, net emigration from Ireland between 2008 and 2013 totalled 120,100,NEWS, http:www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d27e950a-10bf-11e3-b291-00144feabdc0.html, One Irish person emigrates every six minutes, Financial Times, 29 August 2010, 2 May 2015, 14 April 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140414141357weblink">weblink live, or some 2.6% of the total population according to the Census of Ireland 2011. One-third of the emigrants were aged between 15 and 24. As of November 2022, unemployment had fallen back to 4.4%.WEB, Monthly Unemployment November 2022 - CSO - Central Statistics Office,weblink 31 December 2022, CSO, 30 November 2022, en, 8 December 2022,weblink live, {{update inline|date=June 2023}}Ireland exited its EU-IMF bailout programme on 15 December 2013.WEB,weblink Ireland becomes first country to exit eurozone bailout programme, Henry, McDonald, 13 December 2013, 30 July 2017, The Guardian, 20 July 2017,weblink live, Having implemented budget cuts, reforms and sold assets, Ireland was again able to access debt markets. Since then, Ireland has been able to sell long term bonds at record rates.WEB,weblink Republic of Ireland raises €3.75 billion from sale of new 10-year benchmark bond, cbonds.com, 2 February 2017, 25 May 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170525195931weblink">weblink live, However, the stabilisation of the Irish credit bubble required a large transfer of debt from the private sector balance sheet (highest OECD leverage), to the public sector balance sheet (almost unleveraged, pre-crisis), via Irish bank bailouts and public deficit spending.NEWS,weblink Irish government debt four times pre-crisis level, NTMA says, Financial Times, 10 July 2017, 11 April 2018, 11 October 2017,weblink live, Boland, Vincent, WEB,weblink 42% of Europe's banking crisis paid by Ireland, 16 January 2013, 11 April 2018, 18 January 2013,weblink live, The transfer of this debt means that Ireland, in 2017, still has one of the highest levels of both public sector indebtedness, and private sector indebtedness, in the EU-28/OECD.NEWS,weblink Who owes more money – the Irish or the Greeks?, The Irish Times, 4 June 2015, 11 April 2018, 31 July 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Why do the Irish still owe more than the Greeks?, The Irish Times, 7 March 2017, 11 April 2018, 7 July 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ireland's colossal level of indebtedness leaves any new government with precious little room for manoeuvre, Irish Independent, 16 April 2016, 11 April 2018, 16 November 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Irish public debt levels 4th highest in EU28 June 2017 FAR Slide 7, Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, June 2017, 11 April 2018, 23 October 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171023214019weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Irish household debt still amongst the highest in Europe, The Irish Times, 11 September 2017, 11 April 2018, 16 November 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Net National debt now €44000 per head, 2nd highest in the World, Irish Independent, 7 July 2017, 11 April 2018, 14 November 2019,weblink live, Ireland became one of the main destinations for US pharmaceutical corporate tax inversions from 2009 to 2016.NEWS,weblink Tracking Tax Runaways, Bloomberg News, 1 March 2017, 11 April 2018, 17 June 2020,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Pfizer pulls out of €140bn Irish Allergan merger, Irish Independent, 6 April 2016, 11 April 2018, 8 July 2018,weblink live, The country has also became the largest foreign location for large US technology multinationals (i.e. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook), which delivered a GDP growth rate of 26.3% (and GNP growth rate of 18.7%) in 2015. This growth was subsequently shown to be due to Apple restructuring its "double Irish" subsidiary (Apple Sales International, currently under threat of a €13bn EU "illegal state aid" fine for preferential tax treatment).Taxation policy
The transformation of Ireland's tax policy started with the creation of a 10% low-tax "special economic zone", called the International Financial Services Centre (or "IFSC"), in 1987.WEB,weblink Dermot Desmond on the IFSC past and future, Finance Dublin, 2003, 11 April 2018, 23 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180323030751weblink">weblink live, In 1999, the entire country was effectively "turned into an IFSC" with the reduction of Irish corporation tax from 32% to 12.5%.WEB,weblink History of the Irish Corporate Tax System, Ernst and Young, 2014, 11 April 2018, 10 October 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181010024636weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Report on Ireland's Relationship with Global Corporate Taxation Architecture, Department of Finance, 2014, 11 April 2018, 9 May 2018,weblink live, This accelerated the later stages of Ireland's transition from a predominantly agricultural economy into a knowledge and service economy initially focused on property and construction and later focused on attracting mainly US multinationals from high-tech, life sciences, and financial services industries seeking to avail of Ireland's low corporation tax rates and favourable corporate tax system.The multinational tax schemes foreign firms use in Ireland materially distort Irish economic statistics. This reached a climax with the "leprechaun economics" GDP/GNP growth rates of 2015 (as Apple restructured its Irish subsidiaries in 2015). The Central Bank of Ireland introduced a new statistic, Modified gross national income, to remove these distortions. GNI* is 30% below GDP (or, GDP is 143% of GNI).NEWS,weblink CSO paints a very different picture of Irish economy with new measure, The Irish Times, 15 July 2017, 12 April 2018, 21 January 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink New economic Leprechaun on loose as rate of growth plunges, Irish Independent, 15 July 2017, 12 April 2018, 25 October 2019,weblink live, WEB,weblink ESRG Presentation and CSO Response, Central Statistics Office, 4 February 2017, 12 April 2018, 5 December 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171205233009weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Leprechaun-proofing economic data, RTÉ News, 4 February 2017, 12 April 2018, 4 February 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink Report on the ESRG Review Group on GNI*, Central Statistics Office (Ireland), February 2017, 15 April 2018, 30 March 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170330191755weblink">weblink live, From the creation of the IFSC, the country experienced strong and sustained economic growth which fuelled a dramatic rise in Irish consumer borrowing and spending, and Irish construction and investment, which became known as the Celtic Tiger period.WEB,weblink ESRI – Irish Economy, Esri.ie, 30 June 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110624030442weblink">weblink 24 June 2011, By 2007, Ireland had the highest private sector debt in the OECD with a household debt-to-disposable income ratio of 190%. Global capital markets, who had financed Ireland's build-up of debt in the Celtic Tiger period by enabling Irish banks to borrow in excess of the domestic deposit base (to over 180% at peakNEWS,weblink Irish Banks continue to grow deposits as loan books shrink, Irish Examiner, December 2012, 11 April 2018, 12 April 2018,weblink live, ), withdrew support in the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Their withdrawal from the over-borrowed Irish credit system would precipitate a deep Irish property correction which then led to the Post-2008 Irish banking crisis.WEB,weblink Ireland Financial System Stability Assessment 2016, International Monetary Fund, July 2016, 11 April 2018, 29 March 2017,weblink live, WEB,weblink Crisis Recovery in a Country with a High Presence of Foreign Owned Companies, IMK Institute, Berlin, January 2017, 11 April 2018, 19 February 2017,weblink live, Ireland's successful "low-tax" economy opens it to accusations of being a "corporate tax haven",WEB,weblink Ireland named world's 6th worst corporate tax haven, journal.ie, 12 December 2016, 11 April 2018, 26 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180326202524weblink">weblink live, NEWS, The United States' new view of Ireland: 'tax haven',weblink The Irish Times, January 2017, 11 April 2018, 9 April 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Europe points finger at Ireland over tax avoidance, The Irish Times, 7 March 2018, 11 April 2018, 7 March 2018,weblink live, and led to it being "blacklisted" by Brazil.NEWS,weblink Blacklisted by Brazil, Dublin funds find new ways to invest, Reuters, 20 March 2017, 11 April 2018, 14 June 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Oregon Department of Revenue made a recommendation that Ireland be included as a 'listed jurisdiction' or tax haven, Irish Independent, 26 March 2017, 11 April 2018, 14 June 2018,weblink live, A 2017 study ranks Ireland as the 5th largest global Conduit OFC, which legally route funds to tax havens. A serious challenge is the passing of the US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (whose FDII and GILTI regimes target Ireland's multinational tax schemes).NEWS,weblink Trump's US tax reform a significant challenge for Ireland, The Irish Times, 30 November 2017, 11 April 2018, 25 June 2018,weblink live, NEWS, US corporations could be saying goodbye to Ireland,weblink The Irish Times, 17 January 2018, 4 July 2021, 9 April 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Donald Trump singles out Ireland in tax speech, The Irish Times, 29 November 2017, 11 April 2018, 3 April 2018,weblink live, MAGAZINE,weblink Breaking Down the New U.S. Corporate Tax Law, Harvard Business Review, 26 December 2017, 11 April 2018, 22 July 2018,weblink live, The EU's 2018 Digital Sales Tax (DST)WEB,weblink MEPs approve new EU corporate tax plan which embraces 'digital presence', European Parliament, 15 March 2018, 11 April 2018, 16 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180316171804weblink">weblink live, (and desire for a CCCTBWEB,weblink What the EU's new taxes on the tech giants mean – and how they would hurt Ireland, TheJournal.ie, 24 March 2018, 11 April 2018, 29 March 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180329085428weblink">weblink live, ) is also seen as an attempt to restrict Irish "multinational tax schemes" by US technology firms.NEWS,weblink Shake-up of EU tax rules a 'more serious threat' to Ireland than Brexit, Irish Independent, 14 September 2017, 11 April 2018, 16 November 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Why Ireland faces a fight on the corporate tax front, The Irish Times, 14 March 2018, 11 April 2018, 30 March 2019,weblink live, NEWS,weblink EU digital levy could hit tech FDI and tax revenue here, Irish Independent, 21 March 2018, 11 April 2018, 26 June 2019,weblink live,Trade
File:La Touche House, Dublin ( DSC6350).jpg|thumb|The International Financial Services Centre in Dublin]]Although multinational corporations dominate Ireland's export sector, exports from other sources also contribute significantly to the national income. The activities of multinational companies based in Ireland have made it one of the largest exporters of pharmaceutical agents, medical devices and software-related goods and services in the world. Ireland's exports also relate to the activities of large Irish companies (such as Ryanair, Kerry Group and Smurfit Kappa) and exports of mineral resources including zinc and lead concentrates. The country also has significant deposits of gypsum and smaller quantities of copper, silver, gold, barite, and dolomite. Tourism in Ireland contributes about 4% of GDP and is a significant source of employment.Other goods exports include agri-food, cattle, beef, dairy products, and aluminum. Ireland's major imports include data processing equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, and clothing. Financial services provided by multinational corporations based at the Irish Financial Services Centre also contribute to Irish exports. The difference between exports (€89.4 billion) and imports (€45.5 billion) resulted an annual trade surplus of €43.9 billion in 2010,WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111013201019weblink">weblink dead, 13 October 2011, CSO – Main Trading Partners 2010, Cso.ie, which is the highest trade surplus relative to GDP achieved by any EU member state.The EU is by far the country's largest trading partner, accounting for 57.9% of exports and 60.7% of imports. Prior to Brexit, the United Kingdom was the most important trading partner within the EU, accounting for 15.4% of exports and 32.1% of imports. Outside the EU, the United States accounted for 23.2% of exports and 14.1% of imports in 2010.Energy
File:IMG WindfarmKilmuck1920.jpg|thumb|A wind farm in County WexfordCounty WexfordESB, Bord Gáis Energy and Airtricity are the three main electricity and gas suppliers in Ireland. There are 19.82 billion cubic metres of proven reserves of gas.Bord Gáis (2006). Natural Gas In Ireland. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227055815weblink |date=27 February 2012}} Gas and the Environment. Retrieved 8 August 2006. Natural gas extraction previously occurred at the Kinsale Head until its exhaustion. The Corrib gas field was due to come on stream in 2013/14. In 2012, the Barryroe field was confirmed to have up to 1.6 billion barrels of oil in reserve, with between 160 and 600 million recoverable.Providence hits high as potential oil yield revised. The Irish Times (26 July 2012). Retrieved 16 July 2013. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221061641weblink |date=21 December 2012}} That could provide for Ireland's entire energy needs for up to 13 years, when it is developed in 2015/16.There have been significant efforts to increase the use of renewable and sustainable forms of energy in Ireland, particularly in wind power, with 3,000 MegaWattsWEB,weblink Ireland's state power supplier is planning a major leap into solar energy, TheJournal.ie, 11 April 2016, 30 July 2017, 31 July 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170731024852weblink">weblink live, of wind farms being constructed, some for the purpose of export.Wind farm firm to create 2,000 jobs by 2018 – RTÉ News {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022054906weblink |date=22 October 2014 }}. Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann. Retrieved 16 July 2013. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has estimated that 6.5% of Ireland's 2011 energy requirements were produced by renewable sources.{{citation|title=Renewable Energy in Ireland 2011|work=Energy Policy Statistical Support Unit, 2012 Report|page=3|publisher=Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland|date=June 2012|url=weblink|access-date=5 August 2013|archive-url=weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131115181705weblink">weblink|archive-date=15 November 2013|url-status=dead}} The SEAI has also reported an increase in energy efficiency in Ireland with a 28% reduction in carbon emissions per house from 2005 to 2013.NEWS, Ireland on course to meet Kyoto emissions targets,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131219214200weblink">weblink dead, Mark Paul, The Irish Times, 18 December 2013, 19 December 2013, 19 December 2013, As of 2021, Ireland was the 24th largest wind energy producer in the world and the 3rd ranked in 2020 on a per capita basis.WEB, RENEWABLE CAPACITY STATISTICS 2022,weblink www.irena.org, 31 December 2022, 11 April 2022,weblink live,Transport
The country's three main international airports at Dublin, Shannon and Cork serve many European and intercontinental routes with scheduled and chartered flights. The London to Dublin air route is the ninth busiest international air route in the world, and also the busiest international air route in Europe, with 14,500 flights between the two in 2017.NEWS, 10 January 2018,weblink live, 10 January 2018, Dublin to London named Europe's busiest air route in new OAG report,weblink 30 January 2018, Anita, McSorley, Irish Mirror, In 2015, 4.5 million people took the route, at that time, the world's second-busiest.NEWS, O'Halloran, Barry, Dublin-London second-busiest route in world,weblink 18 January 2018, The Irish Times, 25 January 2016, 4 June 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160604175949weblink">weblink live, Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland, although Ryanair is the country's largest airline. Ryanair is Europe's largest low-cost carrier,WEB,weblink Ash makes Ryanair cancel flights until Monday, 19 April 2010, Wayback Machine, Forbes,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100419141444weblink">weblink 16 April 2010, dead, 30 January 2018, the second largest in terms of passenger numbers, and the world's largest in terms of international passenger numbers.WEB, International Air Transport Association, 2008, WATS Scheduled Passengers Carried 53rd Edition,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100323213100weblink">weblink 23 March 2010, File:Trains, Heuston Railway Station - geograph.org.uk - 4947840.jpg|thumb|Iarnród Éireann trains at Heuston station ]]Railway services are provided by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), which operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the country. Dublin is the centre of the network with two main stations, Heuston station and Connolly station, linking to the country's cities and main towns. The Enterprise service, which runs jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, connects Dublin and Belfast. The whole of Ireland's mainline network operates on track with a gauge of {{convert|5|ft|3|in|mm|abbr=on}}, which is unique in Europe and has resulted in distinct rolling stock designs. Dublin's public transport network includes the DART, Luas, Dublin Bus, and dublinbikes.WEB,weblink Ireland and the EU Presidency, eu2013.ie, Travelling around Dublin and Ireland, 28 July 2020, 28 July 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200728205851weblink">weblink live, Motorways, national primary roads and national secondary roads are managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, while regional roads and local roads are managed by the local authorities in each of their respective areas. The road network is primarily focused on the capital, but motorways connect it to other major Irish cities including Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway.WEB,weblink Transport 21 Website – What is Transport 21?, Transport21.ie, 30 June 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110628025059weblink">weblink 28 June 2011, Dublin is served by major infrastructure such as the East-Link and West-Link toll-bridges, as well as the Dublin Port Tunnel. The Jack Lynch Tunnel, under the River Lee in Cork, and the Limerick Tunnel, under the River Shannon, were two major projects outside Dublin.WEB,weblink Construction Magazine, constructionnews.ie, 80 Iconic Irish Construction Projects, 2015, 3 December 2019, 3 August 2020,weblink live,Demographics
{{See also|Historical population of Ireland}}(File:Population of Ireland 1951-2011.png|thumb|Population of Ireland since 1951)Genetic research suggests that the earliest settlers migrated from Iberia following the most recent ice age."Myths of British ancestry" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030165740weblink |date=30 October 2019 }} Prospect magazine After the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age, migrants introduced a Celtic language and culture. Migrants from the two latter eras still represent the genetic heritage of most Irish people.Origins of the British, Stephen Oppenheimer, 2006JOURNAL, 1182057, 15309688, 10.1086/424697, 75, 4, The Longue Durée of genetic ancestry: multiple genetic marker systems and Celtic origins on the Atlantic facade of Europe, October 2004, Am. J. Hum. Genet., 693–702, McEvoy, B, Richards, M, Forster, P, Bradley, DG, Gaelic tradition expanded and became the dominant form over time. Irish people are a combination of Gaelic, Norse, Anglo-Norman, French, and British ancestry.The population of Ireland stood at 5,149,139 in 2022, an increase of 8% since 2016.WEB, 30 May 2023, Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results,weblink Central Statistics Office Ireland, {{As of|2011}}, Ireland had the highest birth rate in the European Union (16 births per 1,000 of population).Ireland continues to have highest birth rate in the European Union {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213064356weblink |date=13 February 2019 }}. BBC News. (20 December 2012). Retrieved 16 July 2013. In 2014, 36.3% of births were to unmarried women.WEB,weblink Vital Statistics Yearly Summary 2014 – CSO – Central Statistics Office, cso.ie, 29 May 2015, 30 July 2017, 11 July 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170711172822weblink">weblink live, Annual population growth rates exceeded 2% during the 2002–2006 intercensal period, which was attributed to high rates of natural increase and immigration.NEWS,weblink Ireland's population still fastest-growing in EU, Thomas Crosbie Media, 18 December 2007, 9 July 2009, 11 December 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081211090803weblink">weblink dead, This rate declined somewhat during the subsequent 2006–2011 intercensal period, with an average annual percentage change of 1.6%. The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2017 was estimated at 1.80 children born per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1, it remains considerably below the high of 4.2 children born per woman in 1850.{{citation|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?tab=chart&year=1849&country=IRL|title=Total Fertility Rate around the world over the last centuries|first=Max|last=Roser|year=2014|work=Our World in Data, Gapminder Foundation|access-date=7 May 2019|archive-date=17 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717171707weblink|url-status=live}} In 2018 the median age of the Irish population was 37.1 years.{{citation-attribution|1={{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ireland/|title=World Factbook EUROPE : IRELAND|work=The World Factbook|date=12 July 2018|access-date=23 January 2021|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118202615weblink|url-status=live}} }}At the time of the 2022 census, the number of non-Irish nationals was recorded at 631,785. This represents an 8% increase from the 2016 census figure of 535,475.WEB, 30 May 2023, Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results,weblink 2 July 2023, Central Statistics Office, The five largest sources of non-Irish nationals were Poland (93,680), the UK (83,347), India (45,449), Romania (43,323), Lithuania (31,177), and Latvia (27,338) respectively. The non-Irish nationalities which saw the largest increase from 2016 were India (+33,984), Romania (+14,137), Brazil (+13,698), Ukraine (+10,006). The non-Irish nationalities which saw the largest decrease from 2016 were Poland (-28,835), UK (-19,766), Lithuania (-5,375), Latvia (-1,633), and Slovakia (-1,117).WEB, 30 May 2023, Population Usually Resident and Present in the State,weblink 2 July 2023, Central Statistics Office, {{See also|List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland}}{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center; width:97%; margin-right:10px; font-size:90%"Languages
File:Percentage stating they speak Irish daily outside the education system in the 2011 census.png|thumb|Percentage of population speaking Irish daily (outside the education system) in the 2011 census ]]The Irish Constitution describes Irish as the "national language" and the "first official language", but English (the "second official language") is the dominant language. In the 2016 census, about 1.75 million people (40% of the population) said they were able to speak Irish but, of those, under 74,000 spoke it on a daily basis.WEB, Irish Language and the Gaeltacht (within Census of Population 2016 – Profile 10 Education, Skills and the Irish Language),weblink Central Statistics Office, Government of Ireland, 10 January 2022, 8 December 2020,weblink live, Irish is spoken as a community language only in a small number of rural areas mostly in the west and south of the country, collectively known as the Gaeltacht. Except in Gaeltacht regions, road signs are usually bilingual.ISB, 1970, si, 164, Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 1970, 16 July 1970, 4 February 2020, 3 May 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110503221548weblink">weblink live, Most public notices and print media are in English only. While the state is officially bilingual, citizens can often struggle to access state services in Irish and most government publications are not available in both languages, even though citizens have the right to deal with the state in Irish. Irish language media include the TV channel TG4, the radio station RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and online newspaper Tuairisc.ie. In the Irish Defence Forces, all foot and arms drill commands are given in the Irish language.As a result of immigration, Polish is the most widely spoken language in Ireland after English, with Irish as the third most spoken.NEWS,weblink Irish is third most used language – Census, 29 March 2012, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 30 July 2017, 30 December 2019,weblink live, Several other Central European languages (namely Czech, Hungarian and Slovak), as well as Baltic languages (Lithuanian and Latvian) are also spoken on a day-to-day basis. Other languages spoken in Ireland include Shelta, spoken by Irish Travellers, and a dialect of Scots is spoken by some Ulster Scots people in Donegal.An introduction to the Ulster-Scots Language {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901151749weblink |date=1 September 2011 }}, Ulster-Scots Agency. Most secondary school students choose to learn one or two foreign languages. Languages available for the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate include French, German, Italian and Spanish; Leaving Certificate students can also study Arabic, Japanese and Russian. Some secondary schools also offer Ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The study of Irish is generally compulsory for Leaving Certificate students, but some may qualify for an exemption in some circumstances, such as learning difficulties or entering the country after age 11.WEB,weblink Pupils exempt from the study of the Irish language (per Circular M10/94 – Revision of Rule 46 of the "Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools" in relation to exemption from Irish), Department of Education and Skills, 27 October 2010, 24 November 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121124031052weblink">weblink live,Healthcare
File:R.C.S.I Disease Research Centre.jpg|thumb|RCSI Disease and Research Centre at Beaumont Hospital in DublinDublinHealthcare in Ireland is provided by both public and private healthcare providers.WEB,weblink Health care, Irish Citizens Information Board, 29 December 2014, 2 January 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150102004014weblink">weblink live, The Minister for Health has responsibility for setting overall health service policy. Every resident of Ireland is entitled to receive health care through the public health care system, which is managed by the Health Service Executive and funded by general taxation. A person may be required to pay a subsidised fee for certain health care received; this depends on income, age, illness or disability. All maternity services are provided free of charge and children up to the age of 6 months. Emergency care is provided to patients who present to a hospital emergency department. However, visitors to emergency departments in non-emergency situations who are not referred by their GP may incur a fee of €100. In some circumstances this fee is not payable or may be waived.{{citation|title=Charges for hospital services |publisher=Citizens Information board |date=26 July 2011}}Anyone holding a European Health Insurance Card is entitled to free maintenance and treatment in public beds in Health Service Executive and voluntary hospitals. Outpatient services are also provided for free. However, the majority of patients on median incomes or above are required to pay subsidised hospital charges. Private health insurance is available to the population for those who want to avail of it.The average life expectancy in Ireland in 2016 was 81.8 years (OECD 2016 list), with 79.9 years for men and 83.6 years for women.WEB,weblink OECD Better Life Index, oecdbetterlifeindex.org, 30 July 2017, 21 July 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170721180308weblink">weblink live, It has the highest birth rate in the EU (16.8 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to an EU average of 10.7)NEWS,weblink Ireland has EU's highest birth rate, The Irish Times, 7 July 2010, 30 June 2011, 3 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150903232010weblink">weblink live, and a very low infant mortality rate (3.5 per 1,000 live births). The Irish healthcare system ranked 13th out of 34 European countries in 2012 according to the European Health Consumer Index produced by Health Consumer Powerhouse.WEB,weblink Euro Health Consumer Index 2012, Health Consumer Powerhouse, 15 May 2012, 23 November 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170525195728weblink">weblink 25 May 2017, dead, The same report ranked the Irish healthcare system as having the 8th best health outcomes but only the 21st most accessible system in Europe.Education
File:University-College-Cork-Panorama-2012.JPG|thumb|University College Cork was founded in 1845 and is a constituent university of the National University of IrelandNational University of IrelandIreland has three levels of education: primary, secondary and higher education. The education systems are largely under the direction of the Government via the Minister for Education. Recognised primary and secondary schools must adhere to the curriculum established by the relevant authorities. Education is compulsory between the ages of six and fifteen years, and all children up to the age of eighteen must complete the first three years of secondary, including one sitting of the Junior Certificate examination.Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 (Section 17) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015328weblink |date=30 September 2007}}There are approximately 3,300 primary schools in Ireland.WEB, Minister Hanafin announces intention to pilot new additional model of Primary School Patronage, 17 February 2007, 7 September 2010,weblink Department of Education and Skills, 26 September 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130926034331weblink">weblink live, The vast majority (92%) are under the patronage of the Catholic Church. Schools run by religious organisations, but receiving public money and recognition, cannot discriminate against pupils based upon religion or lack thereof. A sanctioned system of preference does exist, where students of a particular religion may be accepted before those who do not share the ethos of the school, in a case where a school's quota has already been reached.File:Long Room Interior, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland - Diliff.jpg|thumb|The longroom at the Trinity College LibraryTrinity College LibraryThe Leaving Certificate, which is taken after two years of study, is the final examination in the secondary school system. Those intending to pursue higher education normally take this examination, with access to third-level courses generally depending on results obtained from the best six subjects taken, on a competitive basis.WEB,weblink Education Ireland – Leaving Certificate, Educationireland.ie, 12 November 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101029070824weblink">weblink 29 October 2010, Third-level education awards are conferred by at least 38 Higher Education Institutions – this includes the constituent or linked colleges of seven universities, plus other designated institutions of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. According to the 2022 US News rankings, Ireland is among the top twenty best countries for education.WEB, Best Countries for Education,weblink US News, 16 November 2022, 16 November 2022,weblink live, The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Ireland as having the fourth highest reading score, ninth highest science score and thirteenth highest mathematics score, among OECD countries, in its 2012 assessment.NEWS, Irish teens perform significantly above average in maths, reading and science – OECD, Education, RTÉ News, 3 December 2013,weblink 27 August 2015, 3 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150903232010weblink">weblink live, In 2012, Irish students aged 15 years had the second highest levels of reading literacy in the EU.WEB,weblink CSO – Measuring Ireland's Progress 2013, Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Central Statistics Office, 2014, 27 August 2015, 3 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150903232010weblink">weblink live, Ireland also has 0.747 of the World's top 500 Universities per capita, which ranks the country in 8th place in the world.WEB,weblink World's top 500 Universities per capita, Nationmaster.com, 30 June 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110623192352weblink">weblink 23 June 2011, Primary, secondary and higher (university/college) level education are all free in Ireland for all EU citizens.WEB, Third-level student fees,weblink Free fees, Citizens Information Board, 25 July 2010, 18 April 2021,weblink live, There are charges to cover student services and examinations.In addition, 37 percent of Ireland's population has a university or college degree, which is among the highest percentages in the world.Michael B. Sauter and Alexander E. M. Hess, The Most Educated Countries in the World {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104104554weblink |date=4 November 2015 }}, 24/7 Wall St., 21 September 2012Samantha Grossman, And the World's Most Educated Country Is... {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011215210weblink |date=11 October 2015 }}, Time, 27 September 2012Religion
{{bar boxCulture
Ireland's culture was for centuries predominantly Gaelic, and it remains one of the six principal Celtic nations. Following the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century, and gradual British conquest and colonisation beginning in the 16th century, Ireland became influenced by English and Scottish culture. Subsequently, Irish culture, though distinct in many aspects, shares characteristics with the rest of the Anglosphere, Catholic Europe, and other Celtic regions. The Irish diaspora, one of the world's largest and most dispersed, has contributed to the globalisation of Irish culture, producing many prominent figures in art, music, and science.Literature
File:Jonathan Swift by Charles Jervas detail.jpg|thumb|upright|Jonathan SwiftJonathan SwiftIreland has made a significant contribution to world literature in both the English and Irish languages. Modern Irish fiction began with the publishing of the 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Other writers of importance during the 18th century and their most notable works include Laurence Sterne with the publication of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and Oliver Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield. Numerous Irish novelists emerged during the 19th century, including Maria Edgeworth, John Banim, Gerald Griffin, Charles Kickham, William Carleton, George Moore, and Somerville and Ross. Bram Stoker is best known as the author of the 1897 novel Dracula.James Joyce (1882–1941) published his most famous work Ulysses in 1922, which is an interpretation of the Odyssey set in Dublin. Edith Somerville continued writing after the death of her partner Martin Ross in 1915. Dublin's Annie M. P. Smithson was one of several authors catering for fans of romantic fiction in the 1920s and 1930s. After the Second World War, popular novels were published by, among others, Brian O'Nolan, who published as Flann O'Brien, Elizabeth Bowen, and Kate O'Brien. During the final decades of the 20th century, Edna O'Brien, John McGahern, Maeve Binchy, Joseph O'Connor, Roddy Doyle, Colm TóibÃn, and John Banville came to the fore as novelists.File:Yeats Boughton.jpg|thumb|upright|W. B. YeatsW. B. YeatsPatricia Lynch was a prolific children's author in the 20th century, while Eoin Colfer's works were NYT Best Sellers in this genre in the early 21st century.NEWS,weblink The Irish Times, Eoin Colfer signs Artemis Fowl spin-off series deal, 11 April 2018, 5 September 2018, Colfer is The New York Times best-selling author of eight books in the Artemis Fowl series, with sales in excess of 25 million copies, 9 November 2020,weblink live, In the genre of the short story, which is a form favoured by many Irish writers, the most prominent figures include Seán Ó Faoláin, Frank O'Connor and William Trevor. Well known Irish poets include Patrick Kavanagh, Thomas McCarthy, Dermot Bolger, and Nobel Prize in Literature laureates William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney (born in Northern Ireland but resided in Dublin). Prominent writers in the Irish language are Pádraic Ó Conaire, MáirtÃn Ó Cadhain, Séamus Ó Grianna, and Nuala Nà Dhomhnaill.The history of Irish theatre begins with the expansion of the English administration in Dublin during the early 17th century, and since then, Ireland has significantly contributed to English drama. In its early history, theatrical productions in Ireland tended to serve political purposes, but as more theatres opened and the popular audience grew, a more diverse range of entertainments were staged. Many Dublin-based theatres developed links with their London equivalents, and British productions frequently found their way to the Irish stage. However, most Irish playwrights went abroad to establish themselves. In the 18th century, Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan were two of the most successful playwrights on the London stage at that time. At the beginning of the 20th century, theatre companies dedicated to the staging of Irish plays and the development of writers, directors and performers began to emerge, which allowed many Irish playwrights to learn their trade and establish their reputations in Ireland rather than in Britain or the United States. Following in the tradition of acclaimed practitioners, principally Oscar Wilde, Literature Nobel Prize laureates George Bernard Shaw (1925) and Samuel Beckett (1969), playwrights such as Seán O'Casey, Brian Friel, Sebastian Barry, Brendan Behan, Conor McPherson and Billy Roche have gained popular success.BOOK, Houston, Eugenie, Working and Living in Ireland, Working and Living Publications, 2001, 0-9536896-8-9, registration,weblink 299, Other Irish playwrights of the 20th century include Denis Johnston, Thomas Kilroy, Tom Murphy, Hugh Leonard, Frank McGuinness, and John B. Keane.Music and dance
Irish traditional music has remained vibrant, despite globalising cultural forces, and retains many traditional aspects. It has influenced various music genres, such as American country and roots music, and to some extent modern rock. It has occasionally been blended with styles such as rock and roll and punk rock. Ireland has also produced many internationally known artists in other genres, such as rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Ireland's best selling musical act is the rock band U2, who have sold 170 million copies of their albums worldwide since their formation in 1976.NEWS,weblink U2: What they're still looking for, CBS News, Anthony, Mason, 24 May 2015, 25 May 2015, 1 June 2019,weblink dead, File:U2 on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Brussels 8-1-17.jpg|thumb|right|Dublin-based rock group U2U2There are a number of classical music ensembles around the country, such as the RTÉ Performing Groups.WEB,weblink Contemporary Music Ireland, Contemporary Music Centre – Links, 9 July 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090224073202weblink">weblink 24 February 2009, Ireland also has two opera organisations: Irish National Opera in Dublin, and the annual Wexford Opera Festival, which promotes lesser-known operas, takes place during October and November.Ireland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1965.WEB,weblink Showband legend Butch Moore dies, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 4 April 2001, 9 February 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120811173736weblink">weblink 11 August 2012, Its first win was in 1970, when Dana won with All Kinds of Everything.WEB,weblink Dana, The Daily Show: Celebrity Guests, RTÉ Television, 11 March 2011, 9 February 2012, 11 August 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120811024144weblink">weblink live, It has subsequently won the competition six more times,WEB,weblink Eurovision Song Contest Statistics, eurovisioncovers.co.uk, 2011, 9 February 2012, 2 November 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131102232747weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink A Little Bit Eurovision, RTÉ Television, 6 July 2011, 9 February 2012, 19 December 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111219230315weblink">weblink live, the highest number of wins by any competing country. The phenomenon Riverdance originated as an interval performance during the 1994 contest.WEB,weblink On The Road with Riverdance, RTÉ Radio 1, 1 December 2004, 9 February 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121124221048weblink">weblink 24 November 2012, Irish dance can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dance. Irish social dance can be divided into céilà and set dancing. Irish set dances are quadrilles, danced by 4 couples arranged in a square, while céilà dances are danced by varied formations of couples of 2 to 16 people. There are also many stylistic differences between these two forms. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the country. In some places dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed. Performance dance is traditionally referred to as stepdance. Irish stepdance, popularised by the show Riverdance, is notable for its rapid leg movements, with the body and arms being kept largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a controlled but not rigid upper body, straight arms, and quick, precise movements of the feet. The solo dances can either be in "soft shoe" or "hard shoe".Architecture
{{Multiple image| caption_align = center| align = right| direction = vertical| image2 = Powerscourt, County Wicklow, Ireland - geograph.org.uk - 2534787.jpg| image1 = Dublin Custom House South Side 6.jpg| caption2 = Powerscourt Estate, near Enniskerry in County Wicklow, was built in the 18th centuryMedia
(RTÉ) is Ireland's public service broadcaster, funded by a television licence fee and advertising.WEB,weblink About RTÉ, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 30 August 2011, 23 August 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110823212854weblink">weblink live, RTÉ operates two national television channels, RTÉ One and RTÉ Two. The other independent national television channels are Virgin Media One, Virgin Media Two, Virgin Media Three and TG4, the latter of which is a public service broadcaster for speakers of the Irish language. All these channels are available on Saorview, the national free-to-air digital terrestrial television service.WEB,weblink What is Saorview?, Saorview official website, 30 August 2011, 29 August 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110829045735weblink">weblink live, Additional channels included in the service are RTÉ News Now, RTÉjr, and RTÉ One +1. Subscription-based television providers operating in Ireland include Virgin Media and Sky.
The BBC's Northern Irish division is widely available in Ireland. BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Two Northern Ireland are available in pay television providers including Virgin and Sky as well as via signal overspill by Freeview in border counties.Supported by the Irish Film Board, the Irish film industry grew significantly since the 1990s, with the promotion of indigenous films as well as the attraction of international productions like Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan.WEB,weblink Media landscape: Ireland, European Journalism Centre, 5 November 2010, 30 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110824215241weblink">weblink 24 August 2011, A large number of regional and local radio stations are available countrywide. A survey showed that a consistent 85% of adults listen to a mixture of national, regional and local stations on a daily basis.WEB,weblink Listenership 2011/1 Summary Results, JNLR/Ipsos MRB, 28 July 2011, 30 August 2011, 22 November 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111122145316weblink">weblink live, RTÉ Radio operates four national stations, Radio 1, 2fm, Lyric fm, and RnaG. It also operates four national DAB radio stations. There are two independent national stations: Today FM and Newstalk.Ireland has a traditionally competitive print media, which is divided into daily national newspapers and weekly regional newspapers, as well as national Sunday editions. The strength of the British press is a unique feature of the Irish print media scene, with the availability of a wide selection of British published newspapers and magazines.Eurostat reported that 82% of Irish households had Internet access in 2013 compared to the EU average of 79% but only 67% had broadband access.Ireland still lags behind EU counterparts in access to broadband The Irish Times, 18 December 2013 (accessed on 19 December 2013) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229050021weblink |date=29 December 2013}}Cuisine
{{see also|Irish cuisine|List of Irish dishes}}File:J'ai commencé ma visite de Dublin... (8777546507).jpg|thumb|right|A pint of GuinnessGuinnessIrish cuisine was traditionally based on meat and dairy products, supplemented with vegetables and seafood.Examples of popular Irish cuisine include boxty, colcannon, coddle, stew, and bacon and cabbage. Ireland is known for the full Irish breakfast, which involves a fried or grilled meal generally consisting of rashers, egg, sausage, white and black pudding, and fried tomato. Apart from the influence by European and international dishes, there has been an emergence of a new Irish cuisine based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways.WEB,weblink Food & Drink in Ireland, 19 January 2011, 24 January 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110124024517weblink">weblink live, This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish, oysters, mussels and other shellfish, and the wide range of hand-made cheeses that are now being produced across the country. Shellfish have increased in popularity, especially due to the high quality shellfish available from the country's coastline. The most popular fish include salmon and cod. Traditional breads include soda bread and wheaten bread. Barmbrack is a yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins, traditionally eaten on Halloween.NEWS, McElwain, Aoife, Now we know ... What's so spooky about barmbrack?,weblink 15 September 2018, The Irish Times, 28 October 2017, 15 September 2018,weblink live, Popular everyday beverages among the Irish include tea and coffee. Alcoholic drinks associated with Ireland include PoitÃn and the world-famous Guinness, which is a dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate in Dublin. Irish whiskey is also popular throughout the country and comes in various forms, including single malt, single grain, and blended whiskey.Sports
File:Croke Park panorama.jpg|thumb|Croke Park stadium is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic football and hurling are the traditional sports of Ireland as well as popular spectator sports.WEB,weblink PDF, GAA attendances hold firm, GAA official website, 21 July 2011, 28 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111230062255weblink">weblink 30 December 2011, They are administered by the Gaelic Athletics Association on an all-Ireland basis. Other Gaelic games organised by the association include Gaelic handball and rounders.WEB,weblink About the GAA, GAA official website, 28 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110827084718weblink">weblink 27 August 2011, Association football (soccer) is the third most popular spectator sport and has the highest level of participation.WEB,weblink Social and Economic Value of Sport in Ireland, 5 February 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150712134834weblink">weblink 12 July 2015, Although the League of Ireland is the national league, the English Premier League is the most popular among the public.BOOK, Whelan, Daire, Who Stole Our Game?, Gill & Macmillan Ltd, 2006, 0-7171-4004-0, The Republic of Ireland national football team plays at international level and is administered by the Football Association of Ireland.WEB,weblink About FAI, FAI official website, 28 August 2011, 26 September 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110926064431weblink">weblink live, The Irish Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union, which is played at local and international levels on an all-Ireland basis, and has produced players such as Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara, who were on the team that won the Grand Slam in 2009.WEB,weblink Ireland Are Grand Slam Champions!, IRFU, 21 March 2009, 23 February 2015, 23 February 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150223164446weblink">weblink dead, The success of the Irish Cricket Team in the 2007 Cricket World Cup has led to an increase in the popularity of cricket, which is also administered on an all-Ireland basis by Cricket Ireland.NEWS,weblink Ireland is learning to love cricket and deserves more visits from the elite, The Guardian, 17 March 2011, 28 August 2011, London, Mike, Selvey, 8 January 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140108023437weblink">weblink live, Ireland are one of the twelve Test playing members of the International Cricket Council, having been granted Test status in 2017. Professional domestic matches are played between the major cricket unions of Leinster, Munster, Northern, and North West.Netball is represented by the Ireland national netball team.Golf is another popular sport in Ireland, with over 300 courses countrywide.WEB,weblink Golf courses of Ireland, WorldGolf, 28 August 2011, 4 November 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111104131025weblink">weblink live, The country has produced several internationally successful golfers, such as Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Paul McGinley.Horse racing has a large presence, with influential breeding and racing operations in the country. Racing takes place at courses at The Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare, Leopardstown Racecourse just outside Dublin, and Galway. Ireland has produced champion horses such as Galileo, Montjeu, and Sea the Stars.Boxing is Ireland's most successful sport at an Olympic level. Administered by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association on an all-Ireland basis, it has gained in popularity as a result of the international success of boxers such as Bernard Dunne, Andy Lee and Katie Taylor.Some of Ireland's highest performers in athletics have competed at the Olympic Games, such as Eamonn Coghlan and Sonia O'Sullivan. The annual Dublin Marathon and Dublin Women's Mini Marathon are two of the most popular athletics events in the country.WEB,weblink A long and winding road, Dublin Marathon official website, 28 August 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110810093228weblink">weblink 10 August 2011, Rugby league is represented by the Ireland national rugby league team and administered by Rugby League Ireland (who are full member of the Rugby League European Federation) on an all-Ireland basis. The team compete in the European Cup (rugby league) and the Rugby League World Cup. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup as well as reaching the semi-finals in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.WEB,weblink Ireland rugby league nation overview, Rugby League Planet, 28 August 2011, 6 March 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130306004553weblink">weblink live, The Irish Elite League is a domestic competition for rugby league teams in Ireland.NEWS,weblink Irish Eye Super League, Sky Sports, 2 September 2011, 24 October 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121024002121weblink">weblink live, While Australian rules football in Ireland has a limited following, a series of International rules football games (constituting a hybrid of the Australian and Gaelic football codes) takes place annually between teams representing Ireland and Australia.WEB, International Rules,weblink AFL, 28 April 2021, 28 April 2021,weblink live, Baseball and basketball are also emerging sports in Ireland, both of which have an international team representing the island of Ireland. Other sports which retain a following in Ireland include cycling, greyhound racing, horse riding, and motorsport.Society
{{See also|Abortion in the Republic of Ireland|LGBT rights in the Republic of Ireland}}Ireland ranks fifth in the world in terms of gender equality.NEWS, Iceland 'best country for gender equality',weblink 12 October 2010, BBC News, 12 October 2010, 12 October 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101012045420weblink">weblink live, In 2011, Ireland was ranked the most charitable country in Europe, and second most charitable in the world.NEWS, Ireland 'most charitable' country in Europe,weblink 20 December 2010, RTÉ News, 20 December 2010, 5 December 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131205204543weblink">weblink live, Contraception was controlled in Ireland until 1979, however, the receding influence of the Catholic Church has led to an increasingly secularised society.ISB, Health (Family Planning) Act 1979, 23 July 1979, 1979, 20, 4 February 2022, 18 September 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190918111313weblink">weblink live, A constitutional ban on divorce was lifted following a referendum in 1995. Divorce rates in Ireland are very low compared to European Union averages (0.7 divorced people per 1,000 population in 2011) while the marriage rate in Ireland is slightly above the European Union average (4.6 marriages per 1,000 population per year in 2012). Abortion had been banned throughout the period of the Irish state, first through provisions of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and later by the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013. The right to life of the unborn was protected in the constitution by the Eighth Amendment in 1983; this provision was removed following a referendum, and replaced it with a provision allowing legislation to regulate the termination of pregnancy. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 passed later that year provided for abortion generally during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and in specified circumstances after that date.ISB, Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, 20 December 2018, 2018, 31, 4 February 2022, 21 November 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191121050905weblink">weblink live, Capital punishment is constitutionally banned in Ireland, while discrimination based on age, gender, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, religion, race or membership of the travelling community is illegal. The legislation which outlawed homosexual acts was repealed in 1993.WEB, NORRIS v. IRELAND – 10581/83 [1988] ECHR 22, 26 October 2007, European Court of Human Rights,weblink 7 June 2007, 15 October 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151015234525weblink">weblink live, Senator David Norris successfully challenged the law in the European Court of Human Rights in 1988, but Irish Government did not introduce and pass legislation to rectify the issue until 1993. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 permitted civil partnerships between same-sex couples.NEWS,weblink Civil partnership bill backed by Irish politicians, BBC News, 1 July 2010, 11 July 2010, 2 December 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101202104003weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Carl, O'Brien, 'Historic advance' for equality as Civil Partnership Bill passed, The Irish Times, Dublin, Ireland, 2 July 2010, 1, WEB,weblink Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, 19 July 2010, 28 September 2019, Irish Statute Book, 28 September 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190928094542weblink">weblink live, The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 allowed for adoption rights for couples other than married couples, including civil partners and cohabitants, and provided for donor-assisted human reproduction; however, significant sections of the Act have yet to be commenced.WEB,weblink Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, 6 April 2015, 28 September 2019, Irish Statute Book, 23 May 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150523155602weblink">weblink live, Following a referendum held on 23 May 2015, Ireland became the eighteenth country to provide in law for same-sex marriage, and the first to do so by popular vote.NEWS,weblink The Irish Times, Ireland becomes first country to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, 23 May 2015, 23 May 2015, 23 July 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150723091725weblink">weblink live, Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce an environmental levy for plastic shopping bags in 2002 and a public smoking ban in 2004. Recycling in Ireland is carried out extensively, and Ireland has the second highest rate of packaging recycling in the European Union. It was the first country in Europe to ban incandescent lightbulbs in 2008 and the first EU country to ban in-store tobacco advertising and product display in 2009.NEWS,weblink Traditional light bulbs to be scrapped, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 10 October 2008, 9 July 2009, 22 October 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141022025444weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink Ban on in-store tobacco advertising, Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann, 30 June 2009, 9 July 2009, 22 October 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141022030145weblink">weblink live, In 2015, Ireland became the second country in the world to introduce plain cigarette packaging.NEWS,weblink Plain packaging for cigarettes signed into law in Ireland, The Irish Times, 10 March 2015, Mark, Hilliard, 13 March 2015, 1 July 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150701072609weblink">weblink live, Despite the above measures to discourage tobacco use, smoking rates in Ireland remain at approximately 15.4% as of 2020.WEB, Smoking Prevalence Tracker 2020 Info - Graph,weblink live, 28 May 2021, Health Service Executive, 6 March 2021,weblinkState symbols
{{Further|Symbols of the Republic of Ireland}}File:Seal of the President of Ireland.png|thumb|upright=0.8|The seal of the president of Irelandseal of the president of IrelandThe state shares many symbols with the island of Ireland. These include the colours green and blue, animals such as the Irish wolfhound and stags, structures such as round towers and celtic crosses, and designs such as Celtic knots and spirals. The shamrock, a type of clover, has been a national symbol of Ireland since the 17th century when it became customary to wear it as a symbol on St. Patrick's Day. These symbols are used by state institutions as well as private bodies in the Republic of Ireland.The flag of Ireland is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The flag originates with the Young Ireland movement of the mid-19th century but was not popularised until its use during the Easter Rising of 1916.WEB, Flags Used in Northern Ireland,weblink cain.ulst.ac.uk, Cain Web Service, 5 November 2014, 14 May 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110514131904weblink">weblink live, The colours represent the Gaelic tradition (green) and the followers of William of Orange in Ireland (orange), with white representing the aspiration for peace between them.WEB, National Flag,weblink taoiseach.gov.ie, Department of the Taoiseach, 5 November 2014, 17 December 2017,weblink live, It was adopted as the flag of the Irish Free State in 1922 and continues to be used as the sole flag and ensign of the state. A naval jack, a green flag with a yellow harp, is set out in Defence Forces Regulations and flown from the bows of warships in addition to the national flag in limited circumstances (e.g. when a ship is not underway). It is based on the unofficial green ensign of Ireland used in the 18th and 19th centuries and the traditional green flag of Ireland dating from the 16th century.WEB, Ireland: The Naval Service,weblink crwflags.com, CRW Flags, 5 November 2014, 25 October 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141025205238weblink">weblink live, Like the national flag, the national anthem, (), has its roots in the Easter Rising, when the song was sung by the rebels. Although originally published in English in 1912,JOURNAL, Sherry, Ruth, 4, 1, Spring 1996,weblink The Story of the National Anthem, History Ireland, Dublin, 39–43, 5 November 2014, 4 November 2019,weblink live, the song was translated into Irish in 1923 and the Irish-language version is more commonly sung today. The song was officially adopted as the anthem of the Irish Free State in 1926 and continues as the national anthem of the state.WEB,weblink Ceisteannea—Questions. Oral answers. – Saorstát National Anthem., 20 July 1926, Dáil Éireann (4th Dáil) – Vol. 16 No. 21, 15 July 2022, live,weblink 10 September 2012, The first four bars of the chorus followed by the last five comprise the presidential salute.The arms of Ireland originate as the arms of the monarchs of Ireland and was recorded as the arms of the King of Ireland in the 12th century. From the union of the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1603, they have appeared quartered on the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. Today, they are the personal arms of the president of Ireland whilst he or she is in office and are flown as the presidential standard. The harp symbol is used extensively by the state to mark official documents, Irish coinage and on the seal of the president of Ireland.See also
{{clear right}}Notes
{{Notelist|refs={{Efn|name=nomenclature|Article 4 of the Constitution of Ireland declares that the name of the state is Ireland; Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 declares that Republic of Ireland is "the description of the State".BOOK, John, Coakley, Politics in the Republic of Ireland,weblink 2 May 2011, 20 August 2009, Taylor & Francis, 978-0-415-47672-0, 76, 25 December 2018,weblink live, }}{{Efn|name=national language|Article 8 of the Constitution states that Irish is "the national language" and "the first official language", and that English is "a second official language".}}{{Efn|name=currency|Prior to 2002, Ireland used the Irish pound as its circulated currency. The euro was introduced as an accounting currency in 1999.}}{{Efn|name=tld|The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.}}}}References
{{Reflist}}Bibliography
- BOOK, Gilland, Karin, Ireland: Neutrality and the International Use of Force, 2001, Routledge, 0-415-21804-7,
- BOOK, Greenwood, Margaret, Rough guide to Ireland, 2003, Rough Guides, 1-84353-059-7,
- BOOK, Mangan, James Clarence, James Clarence Mangan – His Selected Poems, 2007, Read Books, 978-1-4086-2700-6,
- BOOK, Meinardus, Otto Friedrich August, Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity, 2002, American Univ in Cairo Press, 977-424-757-4,
- BOOK, Moody, Theodore William, A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland, 2005, Oxford University Press, 0-19-821737-4,
Further reading
- Constitution of Ireland (the 1937 constitution)
- The Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922
- J. Anthony Foley and Stephen Lalor (ed), Gill & Macmillan Annotated Constitution of Ireland (Gill & Macmillan, 1995) ({{ISBN|0-7171-2276-X}})
- BOOK, Michael J., Geary, An Inconvenient Wait: Ireland's Quest for Membership of the EEC, 1957–73, Institute of Public Administration, 2009, 978-1-904541-83-7,
- FSL Lyons (1 January 1985). Ireland Since the Famine. {{isbn|978-0006860051}}.
- BOOK, Alan J., Ward, The Irish Constitutional Tradition: Responsible Government and Modern Ireland 1782–1992, Irish Academic Press, 1994, 0-7165-2528-3,
External links
{{Sister project links|Ireland|voy=Ireland}}Government
- Irish State – official governmental portal
- – official presidential site
- Taoiseach – official prime ministerial site
General information
- Ireland. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Ireland – information from the United States Department of State
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729063507weblink |date=29 July 2010 |title=Portals to the World}} from the United States Library of Congress (archived by the WayBackMachine)
- weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080821132627weblink">Ireland at UCB Libraries GovPubs
- {{curlie|Regional/Europe/Ireland|Ireland}}
- Ireland profile from the BBC News
- {{Wikiatlas|Ireland}}
- {{osmrelation-inline|62273}}
- Key Development Forecasts for Ireland from International Futures
- content above as imported from Wikipedia
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